Introduction:
The year is 2100. Duel Masters, a game that originated decades ago involving shield-smashing creatures and mind-blowing spells, is now as popular as ever. Shobu Kirifuda, a duelling legend, passed away a few years ago holding the title of Kaijudo Master of the World. Now with the DuelMax technology invented by Shobu's grandson, Roko Kirifuda involving voice-activated attacking and auto-tapping, Duel Masters is now one of the most popular card games in the world. But Roko's son, Roko Kirifuda Jr, isn't too thrilled with the Duel Masters game since he has no particular knack of playing. He was one of the worst duellists in town, but things changed that fateful day...
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Note: Before I start the story, I have a few things to say. First of all, it's strongly recommended that you learn how to play Duel Masters otherwise you might be a bit confused with terms such as tapping and breaking and stuff. Second, constructive criticism please. Everyone thinks I'm a good writer at school but I think I'm a terrible writer and some of you will agree with me, but I take flames heavily. And third, if you think there wasn't enough of the stranger in the story, don't fret. He's a very important part of the story later on. That is all.
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Tales of the Phoenix Boy - Chapter I: Eternal Phoenix, Arise
“King Tsunami, todome da!” a teenage boy exclaimed, turning a blue card in the park table sideways. The other teenage boy standing opposite him groaned, and picked up his cards.
“You’re useless at this game, Roko!” the first teenage boy taunted at the other.
“I don’t suck, Jack,” Roko replied. “I’ve been playing Duel Masters ever since…well forever.”
“Then how come you’ve lost to my King Tsunami deck, my Obsidian Scarab deck, my Avalanche Giant deck…” said Jack. His sentence unfortunately fell into deaf ears.
“It’s just cos…I don’t have a strong enough deck!” replied Roko, looking at his watch. “Hey, I better get home now. My mom’s expecting me to be home by dinner time!”
“Yeah, whatever,” Jack said. “Don’t forget to come back tomorrow so I can crush you!”

Roko lingered home, looking down at the ground, kicking a can with a depressed look in his face. “If only I could have a good enough deck…”
Suddenly, a tall figure that looked like he appeared out of nowhere ran swiftly to where Roko was. Roko, still looking at the ground weakly kicking an empty can of Coke, accidentally bumped into the stranger, who spilled his and Roko’s cards.
“Oh my gosh!” said the stranger. “I’m so sorry! Here, let me give you a hand…your ones are the Fire civilization cards, right?”
“Umm, yeah…” replied Roko. “My deck’s not very good though.”
“Hey kid, don’t worry about it,” replied the stranger, giving Roko a pile of red cards. “No matter how weak you think your deck is, you still have a chance to win. That’s what makes Duel Masters such an enjoyable game. Hey, I gotta go, see you!”
The stranger quickly put his cards into his pocket and ran in the opposite direction. Roko felt good about what the stranger said, and walked home happier than the way he felt when he left Jack’s house.

“Roko, you’re late again!” his mom complained when Roko got home. “The next time you’re late I’m gonna burn your cards!”
“Mom, I’m only late by, what, five minutes,” Roko commented, swiftly sitting down at the table and eating his broccoli and chicken. “OK Mom I’m done, just put my plate in the dishwasher cos I really have to do something important so bye.”
Roko quickly stood up and ran upstairs to his room loudly so he couldn’t hear his mom complain.
Roko shut his bedroom door and sorted his cards into creatures and spells, in the slightest attempt to make his deck better so Jack wouldn’t waste him so hard the following day. But as he picked up his deck, he saw a Fire card that didn’t look quite familiar; a card named Eternal Phoenix of the Dragon Flame.
“This card’s not mine, it must belong to that guy I bumped into earlier…” he thought. So he put the card aside and modified his deck. He removed some of his unnecessary Armorloids in place of Dragons and some Fire Birds to support them. After an hour of deck tweaking, Roko was finished. He put his deck away and went to sleep.

The next day, Roko went to Jack’s house early so his mother wouldn’t burn his cards. He was also trying to look for the stranger who gave him the Eternal Phoenix card. He was staring at the Eternal Phoenix card while walking too. He felt that the card wanted to tell him something but he just couldn’t decipher what it was. But then he decided that he was just being an idiot and forgot about the whole “telling him something” thing. He looked up, and saw the same stranger he met the previous day.
“Hey man!” said Roko, handing the Eternal Phoenix over to the stranger. “I think this card is yours, I must’ve gotten it by mistake.”
The stranger shook his head. “You can keep it. You deserve the Eternal Phoenix. In the past, you’ve never trusted yourself but I think this card will help you to trust yourself.”
“Gee,” Roko said. “Thanks.”
The stranger walked off, and Roko ran to Jack’s place.

Roko knocked on the door.
“Hi. You’re early,” said Jack. “Ready to get crushed?”
“Whatever,” replied Roko, setting up his cards. “Shields ready.”
Jack quickly rushed to the duelling table and set up his cards. “Shields ready. I have a new deck today that’s nice and speedy, so to be nice I’ll let you go first.”
Roko charged a Fire mana and tapped it. “I summon Deadly Fighter, Braid Claw. Go.”
Jack drew a card and charged a Nature mana and gestured to Roko that it was his turn.
Roko drew a card and charged Nature mana. “I summon Gonta the Warrior Savage! I’ll break a shield with Braid Claw.”
Jack picked up his shield and smiled. “Proclamation of Death.”
Roko put his Braid Claw in his graveyard as Jack put his Proclamation of Death in his graveyard. “Your turn, Jack.”
Jack drew a card and charged Darkness mana. “I summon Writhing Bone Ghoul. Your turn.”
Roko drew a card and charged Fire mana. “I summon Cocco Lupia! I’ll break another shield with Gonta!”
Jack picked up his shield and almost ripped the card apart since he didn’t get a shield trigger. As Roko gestured that it was Jack’s turn, Jack drew and charged Nature mana. “I summon Fear Fang and break a shield with my Bone Ghoul!”
Roko picked up his shield and revealed it. “Phantom Dragon’s Flame! It’ll destroy your Bone Ghoul.”
Jack angrily picked the Darkness creature up and slammed it in his graveyard. “Your turn, Roko.”
Roko drew a card and smiled. He charged Nature mana and tapped all his mana. “I summon Bolzard Dragon!”
“What?” Jack exclaimed. “You’re cheating! Bolzard costs six mana!”
“Maybe so, but my Cocco Lupia lowers the cost of all Dragons by two mana, so it’s a legal move,” explained Roko.
“Ah, I see you’ve upgraded your deck, but you still don’t stand a chance!” bragged Jack. “Now hurry up and finish your move.”
“I’ll attack your shields with Gonta!” exclaimed Roko. Jack picked up his shield and revealed it.
“Terror Pit! I’ll send Gonta to the graveyard!” exclaimed Jack. Roko picked up his dual-civilization card and put it in his graveyard. “My turn, Roko!”
Jack picked up a card from his deck. “I summon Quixotic Hero Swine Snout! I’ll attack your shields with Fear Fang!”
Roko picked up his shield. “My turn.”
Roko drew and charged Fire mana. “This duel is mine, Jack! Cocco Lupia and Bolzard Dragon, Vortex Evolve to Eternal Phoenix of the Dragon Flame!”
“What?” exclaimed Jack with a terrified face. “I’ve never seen that creature before!”
“The only thing you should be concerned about this creature is that it’s got 11000 power! And I’ll break your remaining shields with it!”
Jack picked up one shield. No trigger. Jack picked up another shield and slammed it into the battle zone.
“TERROR PIT!” screamed Jack on top of his lungs. “I’ll destroy your Eternal Phoenix!”
Jack frowned as he put his Eternal Phoenix in the graveyard and picked up his Braid Claw from the graveyard.
“What are you doing???” asked Jack. “Why are you picking up your Braid Claw from the graveyard?”
“When Eternal Phoenix of the Dragon Flame gets destroyed, I get to bring back all my non-evolution Fire creatures from the grave to my hand,” Roko sighed. “It’s your turn.”
Jack drew a card. “I’ll attack you with Fear Fang and Swine Snout!”
Roko picked up two shields. Jack told Roko it was his turn. Roko drew a card. He smiled. He almost jumped right out of his seat.
“I summon Magmadragon Melgars!” Roko exclaimed. “And use Supersonic Jet Pack on it.”
“Say what???” Jack said.
“Melgars, todome da!” exclaimed Roko.

All afternoon, Jack and Roko duelled. All afternoon, Roko won with the help of Eternal Phoenix. Maybe the stranger was right. Maybe all Roko needed was a little trust in himself. And a double-breaking 11000-powered creature helped him do just that.
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Next chapter - Chapter II: Tournament of the Five Civilizations